The Six Degrees of Engagement
by sailor's delight
Summary: AU, RLNT story - Remus talks to six different people about an important decision regarding Tonks. Ch.6 - Ted
1. Molly

**A/N: **This story is **very** AU - Sirius, James, Remus, Lily and Tonks all went toHogwarts together and are a few years out of school and into their careers. They are all members of the Order. James and Harry are cousins (Harry is a few years younger thaneveryone and his parents were still killed by Voldemort and he still lives with the Dursleys during the summer...Petunia and Lily just aren't realated...) I hope this makes sense...let me know if anything dosen't! Enjoy!

-sailor's delight

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Molly 

Tonks leaned back in her seat and sighed, tilting her head to the side slightly. She stared down at the advertisement in the magazine in front of her. It was an advertisement for rings; engagement rings to be exact. She was sitting in the small waiting room of St. Mungo's, waiting for her name to be called. Remus sat next to her and looked over at what she was reading when he heard her sigh, completely unnoticed by Tonks, who had her legs crossed and was tapping her foot in nervousness. He was flipping through his own magazine, unhappy that Tonks had dragged him along today. She was getting her routine check-up that was required for all Aurors each year. Tonks had a completely irrational fear of anything to do with hospitals, even down to the tongue depressors and hospital gowns. For a dark wizard catcher, she could really be scared of the most bizarre things. But it was just another part of Tonks that made her just so…Tonks, and Remus just couldn't resist her and her strange fears.

Tonks sighed again as she looked at the page and tilted her head to the other side, a completely sappy look on her face. Remus, being the thick-skulled male he was, sat there for a few moments wondering why she was making such a big show about an _engagement ring._ Remus felt like a bag of bricks had hit him as he came up with a completely outrageous thought. _Maybe she wanted one…._No, that couldn't be it. She had to be _engaged_ and have been _proposed _toin order to have an engagement ring…of course. Wait. No that couldn't be it. What if…what if she _wanted _to be proposed to? Remus opened his mouth in slight shock at what he came to realize as a nurse opened a door and called Dora's name and she stood up quickly, dragging a bewildered Remus behind her into the examination room.

"Molly, can I ask you something?" Remus said as he helped Molly Weasley cut up salad ingredients for the dinner that night. She was having the Order over for a nice dinner, somewhat of a tradition they had started ever since things started to get bad in the war. It was a nice couple of hours where they could sit together and eat in peace and not talking about any Order related business. Dora was still at work and was heading straight over when she got out. Remus had come a few minutes early to help Molly set up and talk to her about something.

"Of course dear," Molly said absentmindedly as she concentrated on her carrots.

Remus paused a moment before asking, "How did you know when you were ready to get married?" 

Molly looked up quickly at him, nearly cutting her finger off in the process. "Oh, well, I don't know…it just feels right I guess?" she said a bit taken aback. Remus looked at her and nodded slowly. "Gosh, that was a terrible answer. But really, it just, makes sense. You come to a point in a relationship with someone when you can't see life without them. That's when you know." Molly looked at Remus tenderly as she finished. Remus gave her a small smile and then finished putting some cucumbers in the salad bowl. Remus probably could have and should have asked his own mother this question and be having this discussion with her but he had felt more comfortable for some reason asking Molly. Maybe it was because he didn't want to remind his own mother of his happiness in the relationship department when her own first marriage with Remus' father had failed miserably, and her second one was heading down the same path. It wasn't that he didn't love his mother, because he did, but Molly always seemed to be so knowledgeable about this topic, and her success showed. 

Remus snapped back to reality when Molly said, "I know that look. You're going to propose to Nymphadora." Remus looked up sharply at the older woman and gave her a questioning look. She just smirked back at him and nodded her head slowly. Well, he should have expected her to find out. People like Molly Weasley had a sixth sense for knowing what people were up to.

"Oh, it was just like this the last time," Molly said as she went back to forcefully cutting up the carrots. Remus knew that by "last time" she meant during the First War. "People _eloping _left and right. There was so much panic in the air; people were literally dying to get to the altar. Just to have something, _someone_, to hope and dream with for better circumstances. Someone to be with every moment, because it just might have been their last."

Thick silence settled in the air after she finished and Remus seemed frozen in place, hands hovering over the salad bowl. Were his reasons for asking Dora to marry him what Molly just said? Did he just want someone to be with in this time of fear? No. It was more than that. He loved Dora more than life, would do anything, _anything, _to spend another moment with her. They weren't just two young people in lust who were going to elope and get married by an Elvis impersonator in some desert. They were more than that.

"Oh, Remus, I'm sorry, just forget that. I know you two are young, and things are very…uncertain right now, but honestly? I've never seen two people more in love or more devoted to each other. You'll make it," Molly amended, looking kindly at Remus.

"Thank you Molly, it really means a lot to me," Remus said to her.

"Not at all dear, not at all," she replied with a sad smile, as if she knew what the fates had in store for them.

Just then there was a knock and Molly hurriedly strode over to the kitchen door and looked through the peep-hole. "Nymphadora! You're just in time, Remus just got here. Oh, I'm sorry, you know the rules…What's the scar on your left elbow from?"

A sigh was heard from the other side of the door and Remus smiled to himself as he could picture Dora rolling her eyes at the security question Molly asked her.

"It's from when one of _your_ garden gnomes bit me last summer," Tonks said. Both Remus and Molly struggled to hold back their laughter. While the victim in question didn't think this memory was very funny, Remus and Molly remember it as being quite hilarious.

Molly opened the door for Tonks and hurried back to the stove to take out the chicken dinner. "Help yourself to drinks, you two; everyone else should be here any minute."

Tonks, still in her work clothes, walked over to Remus and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Remus wrapped his arms around her and looked into her green eyes.

"Sorry it took me so long, I ran into Scrimegour on my way out, and you know how that man likes to talk," she said quietly and then gave Remus another quick kiss.

"Don't worry about it, just sit down and relax. What do you want to drink?" Remus said as she made her way to the table.

"Just water is fine," Tonks said sitting down. Remus opened the cabinet by where Molly was standing adding the finishing touches to the chicken, and grabbed two glasses. He was about to turn to the sink when Molly leaned closer to him and whispered out of the corner of her mouth, "Oh yes, you two are definitely ready."

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**Disclaimer**

Anything that is recognizable from any of the _Harry Potter _books is property of J.K. Rowling and I make no profit from it.

Reviews appreciated! This will continue, it will be six chapters in total, I have them all written, it's just a matter of posting them.


	2. Sirius

**A/N: **Wow! Thanks for all the great reviews! keep 'em comin'! enjoy the new chapter

-sailor's delight

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Sirius 

"Oh come on! That just cost me 20 sickles!" Sirius proclaimed loudly at the TV. Remus, deep in thought, barely even noticed he said anything. "Moony, how much did you bet on this stupid game?"

Sirius and Remus were currently sitting in the Broom's Tale, which was a new Wizarding sports bar, inspired by the popular muggle sports bars. There was a big Quidditch match tonight being shown on all of the many large TVs positioned around the bar. Sirius' team was apparently losing, not making him one bit happy.

Remus glanced up at him, "Uh, nothing."

"What! Where's the Marauder spirit? You need to be both Moony _and _Prongs tonight since James is out with Lily," Sirius responded, adding a little resentment in his voice to the last part.

Remus was about to respond when the bartender came over with another beer. "Oh, I'm still good with this one," Remus said holding up his half drank beer.

The bartender glanced over Remus' shoulder. "It's from the lady in red over there. Enjoy." Remus cringed a little on the inside as he and Sirius both turned to look at this mystery lady. Sitting alone at a high table was a blonde that definitely had no natural body parts in a red outfit that could have been a bathing suit. She gave him a flirty smile and drank some of her martini. Remus gave her an uncomfortable smile and turned back to the bar.

"Well that was sufficiently awkward," Remus said before taking a swig of his beer.

"Wow. I didn't know you were such a piece of man meat Moony. Way to go," Sirius said with laughter in his voice as he also took another sip of his drink. "Probably best if Tonks doesn't know about this. She'd probably murder both Barbie and you."

"What? Why me?" Remus asked.

"Just because she'd be pissed," Sirius took another swig. "She's got Black in her Moony. If you haven't noticed we can get a little angry at times."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking their beers and watching the Quidditch match. "I think I'm going to propose to her," Remus said breaking the silence.

Sirius practically spit out the beer he was drinking. "No way!" he exclaimed. Remus just nodded and Sirius stared at him in shock and awe for a few moments. "Moony! We're gonna be family!"

Remus snorted and got a little nervous at the thought of being a part of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. "Yeah, if she says yes."

Sirius looked taken aback. "What! What do you mean _'if _she says yes'? Of course she's going to say yes! I'm her family; we got that whole cousin-mind-connection thing going on. She's crazy about you Moony." Remus looked up from his drink in confusion. He was pretty sure that Sirius had completely made up the "cousin-mind-connection thing". "Wow, I can't believe it. Little Moony all grown up. Ready to take the plunge. What made you decide to do it?"

Remus smiled a little to himself. "Someone once told me that you come to a point in a relationship where you can't see life without them. You can't picture your life any other way. Well, I came to that point."

Sirius just grinned at him and clapped him on the shoulder saying, "Well Moony, you have my blessing."

"Thanks Padfoot. It means a lot to me," Remus said.

"Not a problem. But I swear to Merlin, you screw up and break her heart, you'll see just how nasty us Blacks can get," Sirius said dangerously and Remus swallowed a sip of his beer a little nervously. He knew that Sirius was just trying to scare him, but he really didn't want to test that theory. He knew what Blacks were capable of; he had seen it firsthand.

"Well I don't know about you, but I've had it with this damn Quidditch game. Let's get out of here," Sirius said pulling some money out of his pocket and placing it on the counter for the bartender. 

Remus did the same and they both got up and started to make their way to the door. They were almost out when something, or rather someone, caught Remus' eye.

The drink-buying blonde was making her way over to where Sirius and Remus were standing and walked right up to Remus. She opened her mouth to say something when Sirius moved in front of Remus, facing the blonde.

"Sorry Barbie, he's about to be engaged," Sirius said and he pushed Remus toward the door and out on the street, leaving the woman with an appalled look on her face. Remus was left stunned, but had a look of happiness that was about to break out on his features as Sirius slung his arm around his shoulder and said, "So, will there be a bachelor party?"

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**Disclaimer**

Anything that is recognizable from any of the _Harry Potter _books is property of J.K. Rowling and I make no profit from it.


	3. Lily

**Lily**

Remus apparated to the small hallway with a soft pop. He stood in front of a heavy wood door marked "4C". He raised a fist and knocked a couple times and soon heard soft footsteps approaching from the other side. The door opened to reveal a petite redhead, not the brunette Remus was expecting.

"Remus! Hey!" Lily said enthusiastically.

"Hey Lily, is Dora here?" he asked.

"No, she actually just left to get some coffee," she answered. "Why don't you come in though, she'll be back any minute." Lily turned and walked back into the apartment, gesturing Remus to follow. He stepped in and she turned around quickly, "Shoot, I'm supposed to ask you a question, I'm sorry, you know the drill."

Remus smiled at her. "It's okay," he said.

Lily looked up in thought, "Umm, what did you get Tonks when she got into Auror school?"

"A necklace from Tiffany's," Remus answered instantly. _'A damn expensive one at that' _Remus added in his head.

"Okay, you're safe," Lily said with a smile as she walked further into the apartment. "So what brings you here today?"

"Uh, Dora left her sweatshirt at my place, I'm just bringing it back," Remus said gesturing to the gray fabric in his hands. "I can just leave it here, it's fine." 

"Okay, I'll tell her you stopped by," Lily said.

"Thanks," Remus replied as he placed the sweatshirt on the couch. "Bye Lily." He was about to apparate when the nagging thought in the back of his mind gave a sudden twitch. _'She's her best friend…and probably going to be the Maid of Honor…' _He stopped in his tracks and turned quickly to face Lily again, filled with a sudden, strange nervousness. Remus had known Lily for a long time now, why was he suddenly so nervous? _'Because you're a self-demoting jerk,' _he answered himself. _'You're worried about what she's going to say. She's doesn't want to see her best friend get hurt, and let's face it. The chances of that happening are pretty high considering your…furry little problem. No matter how much Dora tries to say otherwise…'_

"I need to tell you something," Remus spat out quickly.

Lily furrowed her eyebrows together, confused and concerned. "Okay…" she said gesturing for him to continue. 

Remus took a deep breath. "I'm going to ask Dora to marry me," he said and unconsciously held his breath for a moment.

Lily stared at him in shock for a second and then gasped and brought her hands up to cover her mouth. Her eyes glossed over and Remus was afraid she might cry.

After what seemed like an eternity, Lily finally spoke. "Oh my God, Remus, that is so great." Remus let out a breath of relief. "Why so relieved? Were you afraid I'd be mad or something?"

Remus avoided her eyes as he said "No," quietly.

Lily sighed, "You were never good at lying, Remus."

"I know, it's just…" Remus trailed off.

"You feel like you need everyone's approval," Lily finished for him.

"Yeah," he said reluctantly.

"Well don't! Remus, when are you going to get it through that thick skull of yours that you're a good person?"

"It's not that, it's…what parent would want their daughter marrying someone like me? What friend would let their friend get involved with someone like me?"

Lily threw her hands up in exasperation. "Well then why bother, Remus? If you feel that way then just end it, don't torture her and keep her hanging on. Why ask her to marry you?"

Remus looked down at his hands. "Because I love her," he said softly after a beat.

Lily smiled at him. "Then that's all you need. Forget about everything else. If you love her, and she loves you, which I know she does, then you'll get through the obstacles." Remus looked at her and gave her a tiny smile of thanks. "And as for that self-pitying thing, that's gotta stop. You are a good person, Remus, who does good things and fights for the good side. Don't let something terrible that happened to you a long time ago change that."

The two stood in silence for a moment, thinking about what was said. "I really should get going," Remus said gesturing toward the door.

"Okay, just don't forget what I said," Lily said walking with him to the door.

"I won't. Thanks Lily, I'll see you around," Remus said as he opened the door. He stepped into the hallway and turned to face Lily again when she spoke.

"She loves you Remus, just trust in that. She'd do anything for you."

And that's what scared him.

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**Disclaimer**

Anything that is recognizable from any of the _Harry Potter _books is property of J.K. Rowling and I make no profit from it.


	4. Dumbledore

**Dumbledore**

Remus struggled to hold in a snicker when he felt Tonks give a little jump next to him as her head hit his shoulder. Snape had just been giving his latest report at the Order meeting and given that he was the last speaker and the meeting was nearing a close, the attention span of the room had gone down drastically in the past few minutes. Remus was not surprised to find Tonks struggling to keep her eyes open as soon as Snape started talking.

Tonks blinked a few times and tried to act casual as she looked around the room. McGonagall and Molly were staring daggers at her, Dumbledore was focused on Snape but had a knowing look of amusement on his features, Moody was too caught up on Snape's words to notice anything, and James and Sirius were shaking from silent laughter. Remus smiled when Tonks gave them a dirty glare and then tried to act interested in what Severus was saying, but failed miserably.

Snape came to a stopping point and Dumbledore cut in calmly, "Thank you Severus that was quite informative." Snape just nodded and sat down in his chair. "Well that concludes the meeting, it's late and we all need sleep." Dumbledore added with a smile as he got up from his chair. "Remus, could you please stay a few minutes and help me clean up these papers?" Dumbledore said gesturing to the mess of documents, maps, and plans strewn across the long wooden table.

"Sure, not a problem Professor," Remus said.

Tonks came up to him and said quietly, "Do you want me to wait?" as she stifled a yawn.

"No it's fine, you're tired, you should go home," Remus answered her in a low voice.

"You sure?" she asked. Remus nodded. "Okay, love you," she said and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Love you too," he said and watched as she left the dark kitchen of Grimmauld Place with the few remaining Order members. Remus moved toward the table and started to get some of the papers in order when Dumbledore broke the silence.

"You and Nymphadora really have something special, Remus." Remus looked up into his intense blue eyes that felt like they were reading into his soul.

Remus nodded and said, "She's an amazing woman."

"What you two have, your love, could be the thing that saves you and gets you through this war. I hope you know that and you cherish it."

Remus nodded again. "I will, sir." He gathered together some more papers and gave them to Dumbledore to put in a folder.

"I also want to you to stop all of this rubbish that you're not good enough for her, and that you'll hurt her."

Remus looked up, confused. How had he found what Remus agonizes over day and night? Well, he shouldn't be that surprised. Dumbledore had an uncanny knack for knowing exactly what people were up to.

"You are a very kind person, with a good heart and I know you care the world for Nymphadora and would never even think of hurting her. We have advanced magic, Remus. Magic that would never let you hurt her, no matter what state you're in. I have a lot of trust in you," Dumbledore continued as he took a heavy breath, making him suddenly look very old and tired. "Therefore, it is my wish that you take my place as leader of the Order of the Phoenix when I am gone."

Remus looked at Dumbledore with disbelief in his eyes. "Are you serious?" Dumbledore just nodded and smiled at him.

"I have complete faith in you. And I know that with the help of Nymphadora and your friends you will be an amazing leader," Dumbledore said.

"Wow, sir, that's incredible…thank you, so much. It'll be an honor," Remus said, stunned.

"My pleasure, Remus. Now, it is all written out formally and in detail in my will, but I would care not to think about that for a while now, even though the time will come inevitably. For now, I would really like a cup of hot chocolate and a good night's sleep," Dumbledore said as he gathered up the last of the papers in his arms.

Remus stood in the kitchen and watched as Dumbledore walked toward the staircase that lead upstairs.

"Ah, one more thing before I forget. I do wish you and Nymphadora the best of luck in your…_future _plans. I'm confident that she will give you the answer you want. As for now; go. Live your life to its fullest, for you never know when it will be over, and you can't do it over. You have an amazing thing Remus. Don't let it go."

Maybe he was right. The mortality rate was pretty high for Aurors, and Order members weren't known for their long life spans. Maybe Remus just needed to lighten up a bit, just accept his circumstances and learn to live with it. He suddenly felt very stupid. How much life had he wasted, missed out on, because of his paranoia?

Dumbledore turned and started to go up the stairs. He was almost out of sight when he turned around and spoke to Remus again. "Oh, and mark me down for a chicken dinner for the reception. I never really cared for fish."

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**Disclaimer**

Anything that is recognizable from any of the _Harry Potter _books is property of J.K. Rowling and I make no profit from it.

**A/N: **keep the reviews comin'! I want to know what you guys think of this. Hope you enjoyed!

-sailor's delight


	5. Lyra

**Lyra**

Remus was not normally an indecisive person. He normally made decisions fairly quickly when ones needed to be made. He normally did not spend hours and hours agonizing about decisions. Normally. Well this was not normal. Normal was "What shirt should I wear today?" or "What should I have for dinner?" Normal was not "Should I ask this girl to marry me?" which leads us to Remus' problem. Somewhere in the back of his head he knew the answer all along, without a doubt. Sometimes he thinks he knew the moment he met her. But, considering this was not a normal decision, the Gryffindor in him was gnawing at his insides, making him think and rethink what he was about to do. After deciding to just go with what he knew all along, he knew he needed to talk to a few people.

_Lyra-_

_Wondered if you would meet for coffee sometime Thursday. I wanted to talk about a few things with you. Meet me at the Starbucks on the corner of Washington and Bank Street around 2:00?_

_-Remus_

After rereading the note a few times to make sure it wasn't too intimidating, (Remus imagined that meeting your older sister's boyfriend for coffee could be a little unnerving) Remus folded the paper and attached it to the leg of Tonks' small, but feathery owl, Fergus.

"For Lyra, and don't stay there all day eating owl treats, I know how Ted spoils you," Remus murmured to the poofy owl as he ushered it toward the open window.

On Thursday a few minutes after 2:00, Remus walked into the Starbucks and immediately saw Lyra. She was sitting in a large armchair at a table by the window, reading a book. _'How unlike her sister,'_ Remus thought to himself with a smile as he made his way over to the counter to order. After getting the most plain and simple coffee on the menu (he wasn't too sure about drinking something he couldn't pronounce) he headed over to where Lyra was sitting.

"Hey Lyra,"

"Oh, Remus, hi!" Lyra said cheerfully. She already had gotten an iced coffee drink and quickly put her book down and sat up a little straighter in the chair. Lyra looked more like Ted, while Dora looked more like Andromeda, but she still had a lot of facial similarities with her sister. Her hair was much lighter brown than Dora's and was a little longer and very straight. She had light blue eyes and was also generally very soft-spoken.

"So how are you?" Remus said sitting down across from her.

"Oh, I'm good! How are you?" Lyra asked politely.

Remus smiled at her, "I'm doing pretty well. How was your first year?" Lyra had just finished her first year at Hogwarts as a Ravenclaw and was on summer vacation.

"I loved it, I had so much fun, and there's just so much to learn!" Lyra said excitedly. Remus couldn't help but smile at her attitude. When he first met her before she went to Hogwarts, she could barely speak two words in his, or anyone else's, presence. He was glad that going away to school made her come out of her shell. "Dad still jokes about the whole Ravenclaw thing. He was in Hufflepuff, mom was in Slytherin, Nymph was in Gryffindor, and to round it out I'm in Ravenclaw. He says we're 'the perfect Hogwarts family, one of each house!'" she imitated.

Remus laughed. "Yeah I guess you are," he said. They sat in silence for a few moments, drinking their coffee. Even though Remus saw that she was a little more outgoing, but he was pretty sure that she wasn't as forward as to bring up the reason he wanted to meet with her in the first place.

"So about what I wanted to talk about…" Remus trailed off. Lyra just nodded at him so he continued. "You already know that your sister and I are pretty serious." Lyra just nodded again and took a sip of her drink. He got the feeling that she got his point and realized that he couldn't dance around what he was going to say any longer. He decided to just get straight to it. "I want to ask her to marry me." Remus said and then looked intently at Lyra, trying to gauge her reaction. When there was none, Remus went on, "I would really appreciate it if I got your blessing."

Lyra stared at him in silence for a moment and Remus was unable to tell what she was thinking. Finally she gave a little laugh and said, "Well, it's about time. Mom, Mrs. Weasley, and I were betting you'd never get around to it."

Remus let out a sigh of relief. Although the ever-prevalent Gryffindor inside of him would never admit it, Remus was slightly, no, _very_ nervous about asking this twelve-year-old what she thought about him marrying her older sister. He figured that asking the family would be the most nerve wracking part about the whole thing. It was like he was taking away a daughter from a family; from a mother and a father and a sister. Remus' stomach gave a little jolt as he thought of Dora's father. He still needed to talk to Ted Tonks about asking his eldest daughter's hand in marriage. The thought didn't soothe him any.

"I'm glad you're happy, I know how close you are to Dora," Remus said.

"How could I be anything but happy? You and Nymphadora are meant for each other. Everyone sees it Remus. You two are the best thing for each other when it gets bad in the war. You guys have what little girls dream about having when they're older. So yes, you have my full blessing," finished Lyra.

Remus smiled, "Thanks Lyra."

"My pleasure. You do realize that you have to talk to my dad though."

'_Shit.'_ Remus thought, '_Don't remind me.'_

* * *

**Disclaimer**

Anything that is recognizable from any of the _Harry Potter _books is property of J.K. Rowling and I make no profit from it.

**A/N: **Thanks for all the great reviews guys! keep em' coming. This is the second to last chapter...I think we all know who's next...

Anyway, I'm working on a new Katie/Oliver fic, it won't be out till this one's done though.

-sailor's delight


	6. Ted

**A/N: **Sorry it took me so long to post this last chapter, things have been just a bit crazy in my life, even though I know that's no excuse to take 5 minutes to post a chapter..but anyway...here's the last one! It's been a great series with great reviews and I thank all of my reviewers! Here it goes...

**Ted**

_Daddy's Little Girl_. Those three words sent shivers down Remus' spine and made his stomach flip-flop. Nymphadora Tonks definitely fell under the category of "little girl" (no matter how old she was) and Ted Tonks definitely fell under the category of "Daddy". That's the whole reason Remus was so nervous after all but also the reason he kicked Sirius and James out of the apartment for the day and was waiting for the arrival of Ted and Andromeda Tonks.

He was glancing around the apartment that he had spent the past few hours cleaning up and trying to make presentable when there was a knock at the door. Remus took a deep breath and went over to the door and opened it. Standing in the doorway was Mr. and Mrs. Tonks. Ted greeted him with a warm smile and a firm handshake and made his way into the apartment. He was a medium tall man with broad shoulders and an even broader belly. His light brown hair was starting to thin and his face had an ever-prevalent grin on it. Remus held the door open for Andromeda who gave Remus a polite nod and entered the apartment. The middle Black sister was slightly taller than her husband and had very dark, almost black, shiny hair and even darker eyes and features. Her face structure and eyes were strikingly similar to that of her younger sister, Bellatrix, but that was something Remus, or anyone else, tried not to think about.

"Great to see you Remus! How have you been son?" Ted asked as he sat down on the couch and Andromeda sat next to him.

"I'm good, things have been a little stressful, but we're handling it," Remus said. Even though the sentence was vague, all three of them understood that he was hinting at the difficulties the Aurors and Order members have been facing in the past few weeks without violating the strict codes of secrecy he and Dora were under.

"So, you said you wanted to talk about something?" Ted asked and Remus was grateful for the change in topic.

"Yeah, actually I did," Remus said and then took a steadying breath. This was his moment to make it or break it. If he screwed this up he might as well just forget about have a happy future. "I wanted to talk about Dora."

Ted gave a chuckle. "Has the girl finally driven you crazy?" he asked. At Remus' taken aback look, Ted laughed again and continued. "Only kidding. Even though she may make you want to pull your hair out at times, Dora's an incredible girl, I know you know that Remus."

"Yes, sir, I do know that, and that's why I wanted to talk about her," Remus said. At Ted's gesture to go on, Remus took a breath and continued, "I never thought I would come to love Dora as much as I do when I first met her at school. I did know right away that she was someone very special and beautiful and somehow I knew deep down that she would change my life forever, and she has. She made me realize that there is beauty and love in life and that the circumstances someone has doesn't define them and that life is only what you make it. I can't see my life, or picture my future without Dora. Sir, with your permission, I would like to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."

When Remus finished Andromeda gave the tiniest of gasps and tears welled in her dark eyes. When Remus saw this, he was the one that was a little shocked. Never in his life had he ever thought he could make a Black show any emotion, let alone cry. At this moment Remus understood the power of a mother's love. Just the thought of someone marrying her daughter could break down the walls Andromeda Tonks put up around herself to protect the love for her family she held within.

"Well, I can't say that 'Dromeda and I weren't expecting it! You're a fine young man Remus, and I know that you'll take care of her, love her, and treat her with the utmost respect. So with that, I give you my full blessing to marry Nymphadora," Ted said.

Remus could barely contain his grin as he said, "Thank you sir, so much." But he knew he wasn't out of the woods yet. Fathers like Ted Tonks who had daughters like Nymphadora Tonks wouldn't let a guy leave with his blessing without instilling the fear of God into him.

Ted smiled back at him and then leaned closer to Remus. "I'd say that I'm a pretty easy going guy. But I always know when one of my girls is upset or unhappy and I won't hesitate to do something about it. I like you Remus, so don't make me have to do something."

Remus nodded and said, "Yes sir."

"But let's not think about that. This is a time for celebration!" Ted said jovially and stood up.

Remus and Andromeda also stood and Andromeda said, "You'll have to let us know as soon as you do it, Remus. I have some pictures of dresses that would look lovely on Nymphadora that I've been saving and want to give to her."

"Of course, Mrs. Tonks," Remus responded, walking with them to the door.

"It was great to see you son," Ted said and engulfed Remus in a manly hug which startled him a bit. "Welcome to the family!"

Later that night, Remus and Tonks were enjoying a particularly delicious dinner at a tiny local restaurant. Tonks was going on about some new guy at work who "couldn't catch a Death Eater is they disarmed and then stunned themselves" when Remus, who couldn't take his eyes off her all night, broke out into a large grin and gazed at her.

"What are you smiling about?" Tonks said mid-ramble as she took a sip of her wine.

Remus tried to hide his smile but it just grew even more when he said, "Oh, nothing."

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Disclaimer

Anything that is recognizable from any of the _Harry Potter _books is property of J.K. Rowling and I make no profit from it.

**A/N: **I hope you all enjoyed, please review! I just finished up a rough copy of a new Katie/Oliver fic that I hope to get out soon!

-sailor's delight


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